III. Reading Comprehension

Section A

When I became an amputee at age 29, I was forced to rethink the idea of physical perfection. My life became different, as I changed from an acceptably attractive woman to an object of pity and __50__. Too busy __51__ physical pain and obvious mobility limitation, I was not aware of this change at first. I was determined to __52__, feeling good about the progress I had made, as I moved forward. __53__, as I made my first excursion outside the hospital, society had already assigned me a new status. Happy to be free of my restriction in the hospital, I rolled through the shopping mall – a __54__ survivor, feeling like a war hero. Unfortunately, I had a rude __55__ as I discovered that others did not view me in the way I had come to view myself. All eyes were upon me, yet no one dared to make eye contact. Their efforts to __56__ my eyes forced me to realize they saw only my missing legs. Mothers __57__ held their children closer as I passed. Elderly women patted me on the head saying, “God Bless You!” with __58__ in their eyes. While I sat thinking about what had happened, a small girl came up to me. She stared with unembarrassed __59__ at the empty pants. Finding nothing there, she looked up at me with a puzzled look, she innocently asked, “Lady, where did your legs go?” I explained that my legs had been sick. Since my legs hadn’t been strong and healthy like hers, the doctors had to __60__ them. Leaning her head upwards, she asked, “Did they go to ‘Leg Heaven’?” That incident made me think about how __61__ children and adults react to the unknown. To a child, an odd appearance is an interesting curiosity and a __62__ learning experience while adults often view the same thing with fear and horror. I began to realize that, I, too had been __63__ of the same inappropriate reactions before I knew what life was like for an amputee. To fulfill the wholeness of my mind and spirit, I now smile warmly, make eye contact, and speak in a confident manner. By using a __64__ approach, I attempt to enlighten society about the fact that having a not-so-perfect body doesn’t mean having a poor quality of life.

50. A. comfort                   B. fear                       C. hatred                    D. sadness

51.   A. crying with             B. figuring out           C. holding back         D. dealing with

52.   A. endure                   B. quit                     C. revenge                D. succeed

 53.   A. Instead                  B. Moreover             C. However              D. Therefore

54.   A. calm                      B. poor                      C. proud                   D. rare

55.   A. awakening             B. ending                    C. happening           D. proceeding

56.   A. turn                       B. hold                     C. catch                     D. avoid

57.   A. softly                     B. protectively             C. reluctantly              D. pleasantly

58.   A. pity                        B. anger                     C. depression             D. upset 

59.   A. curiosity                B. determination         C. enthusiasm            D. satisfaction  

60.   A. lose                       B. adjust                  C. remove               D. stretch

61.   A. differently            B. positively               C. strangely           D. sympathetically

62.   A. painful                   B. potential                   C. similar                    D. common

63.   A. conscious               B. guilty                      C. ignorant                  D. short

64.   A. creative                   B. flexible                    C. positive                  D. scientific

Section B

(A)

United States Olympic hockey coach Herb Pooks knew that he had a pool of good but young hockey players as he watched them play during the tryouts for the 1980 national team. He decided to choose the players who were the most aggressive and played the hardest. Pooks was pleased with his final choices. However, he knew his team would be the underdog if they faced the powerful team of professionals from the Soviet Union(USSR). During the week before the Olympics began, the U.S. team played the Soviets in an exhibition game and last badly, 10-3. In spite of the defeat, Pooks thought that if his team played up to their potential, they might be able to win a medal. After the 1980 Winter Olympic Games began in Lake Placid, New York, the United States was behind Sweden 2-1 in their first game. With a last-second shot, Bill Baker tied(与……打成平局) the game for the U.S. team. In the second round, the United States defeated Czechoslovakia 7-3. They defeated Norway 5-1 in their next game and then defeated Romania 7-2. A 4-2 win over West Germany followed. With a record of four wins and one tie, the Americans advanced to the medal round. Their opponent was the powerful team from the USSR. The Soviet team had a record of five wins and no losses or ties. The Soviets took a 2-1 lead. Then, in the last second of the first period, the Americans tied the score. With 10 minutes left in the game, the Americans took the lead and held on for a slim 4-3 victory. Many sports fans consider this victory to be one of the greatest upsets in the history of sports. The U.S. team went on to defeat Finland for the gold medal by a score of 4-2.

65.What did Pooks think of his players before the 1980 Winter Olympic Games?

A. They were too young to be the most aggressive.

B. They were powerful enough to be the champion.

C. They lacked potential yet they played the hardest.

D. They were likely to win a medal if they did their best.

66.The word underdog in paragraph 2 probably means __________.

A. leader       B. loser       C. dog-tamer      D. spectator

67.What was the U.S. hockey team’s record in the 1980 Winter Olympics?

A. Four wins, one tie.        B. Five wins, one tie.

C. Six wins, one tie.          D. Six wins, no losses.

68.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Bill Baker scored two goals in the game with the Sweden team.

B. The Soviet team had the same record as the U.S. in the first round.

C. The Soviet team lost the game with the U.S. just at the last minute.

D. The U.S. team’s winning over the Soviets was out of expectation.